Apparatus for picking fowl



A. SHARP APPARATUS FOR PICKING FOWL ilul 22, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJune 4, 1947 flllen 672a?" w July 22, 1952 A, HARP 2,603,831

APPARATUS FOR PICKING FOWL Filed June 4, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2fiverzibre flllerz Sharp, v

A. SHARP APPARATUS FOR PICKING FOWL.

July 22, 1952 4 Sheets$heet 3 Filed June 4, 1947 July 22, 1952 SHARP2,603,831

' I APPARATUS FOR PICKING FOWL Filed June 4, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4[rave/Zia)"; I flllezz Shar- Patented July 22, 1952 APPARATUS FORPICKING FOWL Allen Sharp, Ottumwa, Iowa, assignor to Barker- PoultryEquipment Company, Ottumwa, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application June4, 1947, Serial N 0. 752,314

(Cl. 1'l11.1)

6 Claims.

, 1 This invention relates to chicken pickers.

A serious objection to previous'chicken picking machines is that it waspractically impossible to pick all of the feathers from the fowls. Itwas formerly'customary to suspend fowls on a moving overhead conveyonandat 'a-point along the line of travel a picker operatedon the fowls,sweeping downwardly thereover. There were certain parts of the fowlswhich were not completely picked, such as the back of the wings, back,etc. Such parts of the fowls were not inposition where the pickingmechanismcould strike the feathers.

It was then customary to finish the picking process by hand operation.The picking operation could be carried further by mechanical means byreversing-the fowls on the conveyor, and subjecting them again to apicker. 'Such reversal of the fowls involved the expensive handoperation of reversing the fowls.

I conceived the idea that, instead of reversing the fowls on theconveyor for a second operation,

the picking operation could be reversed, resulting in greater eiiiciencyand economy. Various difficulties were of course encountered, the chiefone being that if the picking mechanism swept upwardly over the fowlssuspended from an overhead conveyor,-the fowls would be. carriedupwardlyand dangle above the picking mechanism.

I next conceived the idea of holding the heads of the fowls downfor theup-sweeping picking operation; my invention lies in an apparatus forcarrying these operations into effect.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide means forholding the heads of the fowls down, so that picking mechanism couldsweep upwardly over the fowls. The means for holding the heads down isarranged so that the fowls in traveling along theconveyor passtherethrough without any manual manipulation.

The present invention is designed to be used in conjunction with aconventional chicken picker which sweeps downwardly over the fowls, andthe two devices together completely pick the -fowls.

An additional object'of the invention is the inclusion of means foradjusting the-head holding means to accommodate all sizes of fowls.

A further object of "the invention is provision of an arrangementwhereby a wide range of siZeS of fowls can be accommodated in eachsetting of the head holding means.

In the chicken picking process it is desirable that the fowls besubjected to the picking apparatus intermittently, so that the skin ofthe fowls will not be damaged by too constant subjection to the pickingmeans.

It is thereforean additional objectof the mvention to provide means foroperating the picking mechanism intermittently. It is a further objectof the invention toprovide means whereby the picking mechanism movesupwardly and downwardly over the fowls as they pass through themechanism.. i

The picking mechanism arrangedsothat in its intermittent operation it iswithdrawn from and brought into engagement; with the fowls laterally to.avoid striking the, head holding means. j I

A still. further object of the invention is the provision of automaticmeans for controlling the intermittent operation of the chicken pickingmeans. 7 v 1 With these and other objects in View, this inventionconsists in the construction,- arrangement and combination-ofthe variousparts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained,as-hereinafter more fully set.-- forth, pointed out in my claims, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinz 1 Figure 1 is an endview of the machine of the-present invention;

Figure 2 is aside view, as viewed, from the right of Figure l; I

Figure 3 is a top-plan view, partly, in crosssection and is takenlooking downward from a plane just below the upper suspendingconveyor,with the picking drums shown-in outline only;

Figure 4 is an enlargedsectional view taken .on line 4-4 of Figure 3; j

Figure 5 is a partial view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a view partly in cross-section, of

. the hood portion of the machine adjacent the head holding andconveying means,and is taken substantially on line 66 of Figure 3;

Figure '7 is an enlarged detail view of the center portion of one of thechicken picking drums showing detailsof the picking finger mountingmeans; H

Figure 8 is a view, one a reduced scale, taken on line 8-8 of Figure 7;5

Figure 9 is av reduced diagrammaticillustration showing the differentpositions of adjustment of the head holding means;

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view showing various positions of thechickenpicking drums; and I Figure 11 is a diagrammatic view "illustrating thehydraulic control mechanism for operating the chicken picking means. I I

Referring now in detail 1- s the .dra'wingsthe device includes a mainframe l2 having .an. end unit at each end of the machine,-'.eachendcomprising innerupright members l4, horizontal members l6, and otherreinforcing and strengthening members i 8. The two end units areinterconnected by longitudinal members 19. The mechanism is to be usedin connection with a conveyor indicated generally at from which fowlsare suspended. The conveyor is provided with customary driving means(not shown), and travels longitudinally through the machine from left toright as illustrated in Figure 2. The

frame end units are secured together at the top by means of yokes 22,one at each end of the frame, which are removably secured in the upperends of the respective upright members I 4. The

yokes 22 are placed in position after adjusting the machine withrelation to the conveyor 29, since the conveyor may be designed forother machinery. The apparatus may be supported on adjustable legs 24 tocompensate for unevenness in the supporting floor.

A fowl is indicated at 26 in Figure l, sup- The fowl 26 is shownsuspended by the feet with the head down, as is customary in'chickenpickingoperations. As explained above, previous chicken pickers sweptdownwardly over the fowls and in order to sweep upwardly it is necessaryto secure their heads and retain them from rising upwardly. To this enda head holding means is provided for engaging the heads of the fowls andretaining them down.

The head holding means is indicated as a whole at 30, and includes apair of longitudinal members or shields 32 and 32a, having inturned fiatportions 34 and 35. (Figure '4) portion 34 may be secured to therespective shield 32, but the portion is separate from its shield 32afor adjustment purposes, as will be pointed out later. The, shields 32and 32a form an inverted. trough, that is, their sides are inclinedoutwardly and downwardly, and are supported by longitudinal reinforcingtubular members 36. The shields 32 and 32a are spaced apart so that theupper fiat portions 34 and 35 form a longitudinal open channel 38, anddepending from the under surfaces of the fiat portions 34 and 35 arebacking plates 40 and 40a which extend downwardly a short distance andreach longitudinally substantially the full length of the head holdingmeans. It will be noted that the head holding means 30 extends entirelythrough the machine.

The shields 32 are supported in relative positions, and the head holderframe rendered unitary, by cross pieces 42 at each end to which thetubular members 36 are secured (Figures 5 and 6). Extendinglongitudinally beyond the tubular members 36 at each end of the headholder frame are additional members 43 to the ends of which are securedcross pieces 44 (shown best in Figures 1 and 5). At the entering end ofthe machine (the left of Figure 3) verticalv the plates 46and 46w arebrackets 41 and 41a The flat respectively which in turn support collarelements 48. The collar elements 48 are adapted to slidingly engage theupright members l4 of the main frame l2 for vertical adjustment of thehead holder frame 35.

Hoods 49 and 49' are secured respectively to the ends of the fiatportions 34 I and 35 of the shields 32 and 32a. The hoods 49 and 49' ateach end of the head holding frame are spaced apart from each other,similarly to the plates 46, and have portions 49a and 49a extendinghorizontally, and portions 4% and 49!) extending downwardly.

A pair of chains 59 are arranged in the head holding means below thefiat portions 34 and 35 of the shields 32 so that each chain has a run5| on the inside of the respective backing plate 40,, and a run 52 onthe outside thereof.

The chains 50 may ,be conventional sprocket chains. If desired,horizontal supporting ledges such as 53 maybe provided for supportingthe chains 50 upwardly. f

A pair of driving sprockets 54 and 54 are supported respectively byshafts 55 and 55 in the vertical bearing members at the entering end ofthe head holder 30, one sprocket being on each side of the open channel38, over which respective chains are trained. The sprockets 54 and 54are operated by meshing gears 51 and 58 secured respectively to thelower ends of the shafts and 56 below the respective cross piece 44. Thecross pieces 44 are disposed a considerable distance below the flatportions 34 and 35 of the shields 32 to'provide space for'the heads ofthe fowls, as will be explained more fully later. Idler sprockets 59 and59, respectively, are provided adjacent the driving sprockets 54 and 54'to guide the outer runs 52 around the driving sprockets 54 and 54'. Theidler sprockets 59 and 59 may be journalled in the horizontal portionsof the hoods 49 and 49'; the hoods 49 and 43 may have bearing support onthe upper ends of the shafts 55 and 56, if desired; a slot fill-isprovided in the hood 49' to accommodate the shaft 5'5.

The opposite orexit end of the head holder 34, shown at the right ofFigure 3, is provided with cooperating sprockets 6 I and BI andcorresponding idler sprockets 62 and '62, both of which may be supportedby the respective hoods 49 and 49. Additional shields 63 and 63' may beprovided at the ends of all of the hoods 49 and 49'.

Thewidth of the open channel 38 in the head holding means 30 maybeadjusted within limits.

An adjusting screw 64is threaded in a bracket 66 fixed on the plate 46aadjacent the hood 49' at each end of the machine. The screws 64 haveoperable connection with the vertical portions 491) of the hoods 49, andby adjusting the screws, the hoods 49 and the interconnecting flatportion 35 of the adjacent shield 32a can beadjusted in and out. Thismovement carries the respective backing plate 40a and the correspondingruns 5| and 52 of the chain towardand away from the opposite backingplate and chain. Al though the sprocket 54" remains fixed, the sprockets59, BI and 62 move with the hoods 49; but the movement of the hoods 49'is so small that the tension of the chain 59 on that side of the headholder means is not materially affected. The distance between the runs5| of the chains is determined by the sizes of the necks of the fowlspassing through the machine. The extent of adjustment of the channel 38need not be great, only enough to accommodate the differene sizes ofnecks of the fowls.

. cated at 82.

Drive for the chains 50 is provided by a motor 61 at the entering end ofthe head holder and supported on one side thereof by the hood 49. Adrive pulley 68 on the motor 61 drives, by means of belt 69, a gear boxI0 having, a drive gear I2 which meshes with the gear 51. It will thusbe seen that both chains aredriven by the motor 61, through meshinggears 51 and 58.

Secured to each of the plates 46, as by means of brackets 11 at each endof the head holder 30 and on each side of the center thereofis a guideframe 18. The guide frames 18 are in the form of plates disposedtransversely of the machine. The brackets 11 maybe secured to plates46in any appropriate manner such as by welding; and the guide frames 18are secured to the brackets TI in any appropriate manner (notshown).

Each guide frame 18 includes a slot 80, the upper major portion of whichis vertical as indi- The lower portion of each slot 80, as indicated at84, is angled outwardly and downwardly parallel to the inclination ofthe shields 32 of the head holder 30. The upper and lower ends of theguide frames I8 are provided with bearing collars 86 slidably fitted onthe upright members I 4. The bearing collars 86 on the guide frames 18,and the collar elements 48 on the plates 46, are adapted to slide alongthe upright members I4 for vertical adjustment of the head holding means30.

A winch indicated at 90 is supported on the main frame I2 for verticaladjustment of the head holding means 30. One flexible cable indicated at92 leads directly from the winch 90, is trained over pulley 9|, and isconnected in any appropriate manner to the adjacent side of the headholding means 30 (Figure 1); and a second flexible cable 94 leadsdownwardly, is trained over pulley 93a, extends across the main frame,and to the opposite side of the machine, then over pulley 93b, whence itthen leads upwardly, is trained over a pulley 93c and is connected toplate 46a of the head holding means at the opposite side of the machinein any appropriate manner. Thus the central portion of the machine iskept clear for the passage of fowls therethrough. The cables 92 and 94are secured in an appropriate manner, such as by welding, to the outerends of plates 46 and 46a, which in turn are secured on the head holdingmeans 30.

The winch 90 is secured on a shaft 98 extending longitudinally of themachine, andon the opposite end a similar arrangement of winch andcables is provided for the opposite end of the raised and lowered withthe head holding means.

The picking means includes a pair of rotatable drums I00 disposed onaxes positioned longitudinally of the machine. The construction of thedrums I00 may be observed from Figures '7 and 8. Each drum I00 includesa shaft I02 upon which is mounted a frame-work I04 including a pluralityof axially extending plates I06. Each plate I06 is provided with aseries of notches I08. The notches I08 are V-shape at the outer ends,and their inner ends are rounded for insertion of flexible pickingfingers H0. The fingers IIO are inserted in the notches I08 and when soinserted are securely held in place therein by friction. Rotation of thedrum is preferably as indicated by the arrow in Figure 8 so that thepicking fingers I I0 are more easily retained in the notches.

V picking drum I00.

The picking fingers I I0 are preferably long and flexible. When the drumis stationa y, the fingers IIO are flexible enough to hang, and theoutstretched position of the fingers in Figure 8 indicates rotation. Thefinger IIO also preferably are provided with circumferential ribs. Therepresentation of the drums I00 in- Figures 1, 2 and 3 issemi-diagrammatic; they are shown only .in the outline of theextremities of the fingers I I0 when in rotation.

Each'drum I00 is supported by a framework including an upright arm I I2pivoted at I Men the lower transverse frame member I6. One such arm H2is provided at each end of the machine "foreach drum; A longitudinalshaft or bar I I6 is pivoted in'the upper swinging ends of therespective arms II2. Rigidly secured to each end of the longitudinalshaft H6 is a second swinging arm H8. Inthe outer ends of the arm II8are bearing members I20 for supporting the ends of the shaft I02 or therespective picking drum I00. Outwardly of the bearing members I20 areenlarged extensions I22 fixed to the shaft I02 and adapted to extendinto and slide in the guide slots 80.

The drums I00 are adapted to be raised and lowered and be guided by theslots as will be more fully explained later. The means for raising andlowering the drums I00 consist of hydraulic rams I24 having pistons orarms I24a extending therefrom. One such ram I24 is provided for eachdrum, and is pivoted on an arm I26 on the frame I2. The presentillustration shows the rams I24 pivoted adjacent the pivot points I I4of the arms I I2, but this may be varied if desired. Since the arms H8are rigidly secured to the longitudinal member I I6 they form a rigidframework, and the hydraulic ram I24 being disposed only atone endthereof is effective for raising and lowering the arms II0v at bothends. In Figure 11,,the pivotal connections of arms I I8 to arms H2 andlongitudinal member I I6 are omitted, but such connections are clearlyshown in Figure 1. The ram arms I24a are pivotally connected at I21 inany appropriate manner, such as by pins, to plates I26, which aresecured, as by welding to arms I IS.

The frame-workfor supporting the drums I00 is provided with appropriatereinforcing members such asvertical plates I26'secured to arms H8 and towhich the extensible ram arms I24a are pivotally secured at I21, and ahorizontal plate I23.v A drive motor I30 is supported on the horizontalplate I28 and is operatively connected, by means of a belt I32, to thepicking drum I00. One such drive motor I 30 is provided for eachAlthough only one motor I30 is shown in Figure 2, a similar motor I30 isprovided for the other picking drum. As the picking drum I00 is raisedand lowered the drive motor I30 is carried therewith.

The raising and lowering of the picking drums I00 is effectedautomatically. Gear 58 is provided with downwardly extending pins I34which on rotation of the gear 58 engage a trip lever I36 in a valveoperating device I38 carried by the head holding means 30. On one sideof the machine one of the swinging arms II8 which supports the drum I00has secured thereto, such as by welding, a plate I39 upon which ismounted a vertically adjustablepin I40 adapted to engage a trip leverI42 in a second valve operating device I44. The pins I34 are adapted toactuate the hydraulic drive so that the ram arms I241; are extended, andthe pin I40 is operable to reverse ing drums-I reach the desired height.The

height to which the drums I00 are raised can be controlled'by adjustingthe pin I59 to different heights. v i

Figurell shows diagramatically' one form of hydraulic mechanism foractuating the hydraulic rams I24. A pump and reservoir is indicated atI40 having leads I48 to the rams I24. As the gear 58 rotates, the pinsI34 engage the tri lever I36 operating a valve which actuates thehydraulic system to extend the hydraulic rams I25- After the drums I00reach the desired height, the pin I40 on the arm I IB engages the triplever-I42 and reverses the hydraulic drive so that the picking drums I00descend. The particular kind of hy Practical operation.

The head holding means 30 is adjusted to an appropriate height toaccommodate fowls of the particular sizes being treated. Fowls vary insize from one to the next, and of course different kinds of fowls are ofdifferent sizes. One customary'type of classification, for which convenient adjustment of the machine may be made, is recognized aseelittlechickens, big chickens, little turkeys, and. big turkeys.

Figures 1 and 4 illustrate a fowl which is small compared with thepresent position of adjustment of the head holding means 30. That is,the head of the fowl is just below the inner runs 5| of the chains 59.The dotted line position of the head of the fowl in Figure 4 indicates alarger fowl, and in such a casethehead depends considerably below thechains 50. 'As the fowls travel along the conveyor the necks passthrough the open channel 38 in the head holding means. The picking drumsI00 rotate in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, thepicking fingers IIO sweeping upwardly over the fowls. The inner runs 5|of the chains 50 are adjusted so that they do not bear heavily on thenecks of the fowls, but are at such'spacing that the heads of the fowlscannot move upwardly between the chains. As the picking drums sweepupwardly on the fowls they are prevented from being raised and tossed.

In the case of large fowls from which the heads depend substantiallybelow the chains 50,

the picking drums I00 in their upswee operation carry the fowls upwardlyto a point where the head engages the chains 50. Such large fowls rangeis provided to accommodate different sizes of fowls. It will also benoted that for any one position of adjustment a considerable range isprovided for diiferent sizes of fowls, as evidenced by the space betweenthe chains 50 and the gears 51 and 58.

In the picking operation it is desirable that the picking process is notconstant but preferably intermittent. Hence the provision for raisingand lowering the picking drums I00. It is also desirabl th t in such ntrmitte p k th drums head holding means 38.

move bodily upwardly and downwardly over the fowls to provide a morethorough picking process. As the ram arms I241: are extended, thepicking drums I00 are elevated and guided by slots 80. The upperportions 82 of the slots are vertical as explained above, and guide. thepicking drums upwardly and. downwardly over the fowls. As the pickingdrums I00 descend from the portions 82 of the slots, they are guidedoutwardly and downwardly by the lower portions 84 of the slots 80, sothat the drums are withdrawn from the fowls and guided away from the Theobjective of the means for providing intermittant picking is thatthedrumscome into and out of engagement with the' fowls. Such action inconventional pickers is accomplished by having the picking means raisedand lowered along the fowls, and to come out of engagement with thefowls by continuing the downward movement beyond the lower extremitiesof the fowls.. In the present case after the'picking drums are loweredto the lower ends of the fowls they are Separated, and spread away fromthe center of the machine to avoid striking the head holding means.

It will be noted from Figure 1 that the extremities of the pickingfingers III) on the two drums I09 intermesh somewhat to assure that asmuch of the surface of the fowls as possible will be covered.

It is obvious of course that the speed of the chains 50 in the headholding means 30 is the I same as the overhead conveyor.

Cycles of movement of the picking drums in their up and down movementcan be regulated so that the fowls will be subjected to the pickingprocess several times during their travel through the machine. It hasbeen found that two or three times is the most effective for completelypicking the fowls. This number may of course be varied to suitcircumstances.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention, manifestly it is susceptible of modification andrearrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scopethereof. I do not therefore, wish to be understood as limiting myinvention to the precise form herein disclosed, except as I may be solimited by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A fowl picking machine including a supporting structure, a fowlsuspending conveyor on said supporting structure, a frame verticallyadjustably mounted on said supporting structure, a fowl head holding andconveying means on said frame, said fowl head holding and conveyingmeans being spaced in parallel relation below said suspending conveyor,a plurality of adjustable picking drums on said supporting structurepositioned between said suspending conveyor and said head holdingconveyor, and guide means between said picking drums and said frame forpositioning said drums with respect to said frame as the latter isadjusted vertically.

2. A fowl picking machine including a supporting structure, a fowlsuspending conveyor on said supporting structure for conveying fowlalong a predetermined route, a frame vertically adjustably mounted onsaid supporting structure, a fowl head holding means on said framespaced in parallel relation below said suspending conveyor, a pluralityof adjustable picking drums on said supporting structure positioned onopposite sides along said predetermined route and positioned betweensaid suspending conveyor and said head holding means, and guide meansbetween said picking drums and said frame for positioning said drumswith respect to said frame as the latter is adjusted vertically.

3. A fowl picking machine comprising a supporting structure, a fowlsuspending conveyor on said supporting structure for conveying fowlalong a predetermined route, a frame mounted on said supportingstructure and vertically adjustable thereon, a fowl head holding andconveying means on said frame spaced in parallel rela-' tion below saidsuspending conveyor, a plurality of picking drums on said supportingstructure positioned on opposite sides along said predetermined routeand positioned between said suspending conveyor and said head holdingand conveying means, said picking drums being adapted. to bereciprocated between said suspending conveyor and said head holding andconveying means along a predetermined path, and guide means between saidpicking drums and said frame for positioning said drums with respect tosaid frame as the latter is adjusted vertically and for restraining themovement of the picking drums along said predetermined path.

4. A fowlpicking machine as set forth in claim 3, wherein said guidemeans comprises members on said frame positioned on opposite sides ofsaid predetermined conveyor route and having guideways therein, guidemembers operatively associated with said picking drums and positioned insaid guideways, the runs of said guideways extending vertically overupper portions thereof and then extending downwardly and diverging fromthe lower ends of said vertical portions, whereby as the picking drumsmove downwardly toward said head holding and conveying means they arecaused to move outwardly to avoid engagement with said head holding andconveying means. I

5. A fowl picking machine as set forth in claim 3, wherein said guidemeans includes members on ,3, wherein said guide means includes memberson said frame positioned on opposite sides of said predeterminedconveyor route and having guideways therein, guide members operativelyassociated with said picking drums and positioned in said framepositioned on opposite sides of said said guideways, the runs of saidguideways extending vertically over upper portions thereof and thenextending downwardly and diverging from the lower ends of said verticalportions, reciprocating means operatively associated with said pickingdrums for causing the picking drums to reciprocate laterally toward andfrom each other when said guide members are in the diverging portions ofthe guideways, and to reciprocate vertically when said guide members arein the vertical portions of said guideways, means operatively associatedwith the head holding conveyor for actuating said'reciprocating means tomove the picking drums in one direction along the runs of the guideways,and switching means adapted to be operated by members on said supportingstructure and on, said reciprocating means, which members move relativeto each other, for reversing the direction of movement of the pickingdrums along the runs of said guideways. 1

' ALLEN SHARP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Davis May 10, 1949

